Apparel



June 13, 1950 G, KUHN 2,511,641

APPAREL Filed Nov. 4, 1946 FIG.

INVENTOR 620205 /1u//N,.

ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARELGeorge Kuhn, Silver Spring, Md.

Application November 4, 1946, Serial No. 707,651

7 Claims.

injury to the skin, and producing the novel effect of exposing an areaof the body between the breasts.

Brassieres of the strapless type are potentially very popular,particularly for sport and evening wear and those of the typecontemplated herein are especially compatible with evening gowns whichare cut low in front, since the brassieres themselves are ventrallydiscontinuous to provide a gap between their breast receiving portions.Such brassieres may comprise a discontinuous curved resilient torsoengaging member having a dorsal portion, lateral portions and spacedventral portions, the ventral portions being biased towards the dorsalportion and terminating in spaced breast engaging members. The torsoengaging member may be unitary or composite, of constant length oradjustable, strip-like or filamentary, metallic or otherwise. The breastengaging or embracing members may be integral with the torso engagingmember or attached thereto, removable or fixed thereto. These breastreceiving members may be contoured to engage above and below themammillae as well as ventrally with respect thereto. They may assume theform of loops or segments thereof or they may be cup-shaped andcontinuous or perforated to cover the breasts entirely or partially.Fabric, plastic or other types of covering may be employed for the torsoengaging member for contact with the body and may at the same timeimpart suitable decorative effects. The breast receiving or engagingmembers may likewise be covered with such fabric or may be composedentirely of suitable shape-retaining material to serve one or both ofthese same purposes. While the brassiere of the present invention isself supporting and ordinarily dispenses with the need for shoulderstraps, their use where desired is not excluded. The torso engagingportion may be substantially c-shaped or it may have a downwardly offsetdorsal portion to cooperate with an outer garment which is cut low inback.

A more complete understanding of the invention will follow from a moredetailed description of the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing a brassiere of the type contemplatedherein applied to a portion of a torso;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing one form of such a brassire;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the structure shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing another form contemplated;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section showing adetail of the structure of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken along line of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a modification; and

Fig. 9 is a section along line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The torso I0 depicted in Fig. 1 has been fitted with a brassiere of thetype herein proposed, having a torso engaging member l2 extending fromthe remote portions of the breast receiving members l4, around the sidesand back of the torso. The breast receiving members M being spaced infront, define a gap [6 between the breasts, thus readily cooperatingwith a low cut evening gown without effecting undesired exposure.

The torso engaging member 12 depicted in Fig. 2 is in the form of astrip of metal, plastic, wood, or combinations of these or othersuitable materials of a resilient nature, curved to more or less conformwith the human torso, having a dorsal portion l8, lateral portions 20and ventral portions 22, the latter being normally biased by theinherent resilience of the material, toward the dorsal portion I8. Thesespaced ventral portions terminate in loops 24, which may be suitablyconstructed from wire or other appropriate material to embrace or engagethe breasts.

As shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the torso engaging member may beprovided with flanges 26 defining channels for receiving the ends of thewire loops 24. The terminals 28 of these loops may be bent to serve aslatching means in cooperation with the flanges, the inherent resilienceof the loop biasing these terminal portions outwardly. The positions ofthe loops with respect to the body may be adjusted by forming theterminal portions 28 at any desired length. Moreover, the loops of thismodification may be removed from the torso engaging member by pressingthe loop ends inwardly with respect to the channel in opposition to thenormal bias. Such removal will permit the application of fabric coversto the loops and ready removal of such covers for laundry purposes orrenewal. The application of a covering material 30 to the torso engagingmember is depicted in Fig. 4.

The body engaging member 32, Fig. 5, likewise has a dorsal portion 18,lateral portions 20 and ventral portions 22, the torso engaging memberin this case being shown as constructed from resilient wire to form adiscontinuous curved member. In this case the loops 34 are integral withthe torso engaging member, the entire assembly being rendered adjustableif desired, by the provision of a sleeve 36 containing suitably spacedopenings 38 for selective reception of the bent ends 40 of the torsoengaging member 32. Here again, the size of the brassiere can beadjusted by retracting the ends un-from one pair of openings andpermitting them to expand into another pair. The entire brassiere orportions thereof may be covered with protective and/or ornamental fabricby sewing, the use of suitable fasteners or otherwise. The applicationof such a fabric cover has been depicted in connection with the torsoengaging member in Fig. 7 of the drawing.

In some cases, as for evening wear, the body embracing member IZmayhaveitsdorsal portion is downwardly offset with respect to the breastengaging members 4.2, as depicted in Fig. 8, to cooperate with a gownwhich is cut low in back. The breast receiving members have been .shownin this case, Fig.9, as rigid or semi-rigid cuplike elements providedwith fine perforations 44 for ventilation.

Brassieres intended for sport wear, such as bathing or sun suits, mayhave their torso engaging members enclosed by .astrip or covering ofcolored, tinted or transparent plastic, rubber, leather .or otherdesired material.

Such brassieres would provide adequate support for strapless garmentswhich might be attached theretoor integral therewith. In any event, theresilience of the structure in cooperation with the breasts, renders itself supporting and self positioning once it has been applied.

Whereas examples of brassires of the type herein contemplated have beenshown and described, no effort has been made to show many othermodifications contemplated, in appreciation of the fact that theinvention will not be restricted beyond the scope of theappended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A brassiere comprising a ventrally discontinuous curved resilienttorso embracing member having a united dorsal portion, lateral portionsand spaced ventral portions, said ventral portions biased by theresiliency of said torso engaging member towards said dorsal portion andterminating in mutually spaced ventrally unconnected breast receivingmembers.

2. A brassiere comprising a ventrally discontinuous curved resilientwire torso embracing member having a united dorsal portion, lateralportions and spaced ventral portions, said ventral portions biased bythe resiliency of said torso engaging member towards said dorsal portionand terminating in mutually spaced ventrally unconnected breastembracing members, and a covering for said members.

3. A brassiere comprising a ventrally discontinuous curved resilienttorso embracing member having a united dorsal portion, lateral portionsand spaced ventral portions, said ventral portions biased by theresiliency of said torso engaging member towards said dorsal portionand. terminating in ventrally unconnected mutually spaced form-fittingbreast receiving cups.

4. A brassire comprising a relatively narrow substantially C-shapedmember of spring material substantially complementing the back and sidesof a female torso, the ends of said member terminating in a pair ofventrally unconnected mutually spaced breast receptacles.

5. A self -supporting brassiere comprising a pair of ventrallyunconnected and spaced breast receptacles, and a substantially C-shapedstrip of spring material curved and substantially complementing the backand sides of a female torso and attached at each of its respective endsto one of said breast receptacles.

6. A brassiere comprising a discontinuous curved resilient torsoengaging member having a united dorsal portion, lateral portions andspaced ventral portions, said ventral portions biased by the resiliencyof said torso engaging member towards said dorsal portion andterminating in mutually spaced ventrally unconnected breast embracingmembers, said dorsal portion being oifset downwardly with respect tosaid ventral portions.

7. A brassire comprising a ventrally discontinuous curved resilienttorso engaging member having a united dorsal portion, lateral portionsand spaced ventral portions, said ventral portions biased by theresiliency of said torso engaging member towards said dorsal portion andterminating in mutually spaced ventrally unconnected breast embracingmembers and adjusting means for varying the spacing of said embracingmembers.

GEORGE KUHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,290,608 Lowman Jan. 7, 19192,013,554 De Benedetto Sept. 3, 1935 2,045,401. Mowry 'June 23, 19362,131,457 Tachat Sept. 27, 1938 2,267,365 Blum Dec. 23, 1941 2,391,417Hill Dec. 25, 1945 2,414,590 Folb Jan. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 86,280 Sweden Mar. 12, 1936 771,567 France July 30, 1934854,831 France Jan. 29, 1940

